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Best Of The Best 2006: Heart Of Stones

Brazil’s H. Stern has the inside track on the native country’s flourishing colored gem supply, possessing first dibs on such highly coveted stones as Paraíba tourmaline, alexandrite, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, and imperial topaz. While this 60-year-old jewelry house is known for its prominent use of Brazilian gems, including indigenous tourmalines and rock crystals, it also employs traditional diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds—but in unusual shapes, cuts, and designs.

One of Stern’s most impressive recent creations is an elaborate emerald necklace featuring 24 large stones (totaling 190 carats) and priced at $1.2 million. The jeweler spent 14 years collecting the emeralds and left the stones in their natural state, allowing them to retain all of their inclusions. Designers placed the voluptuous gems in an unconventional asym­metrical design, reflecting H. Stern’s new direction in which the company creates contemporary-looking pieces around its precious gems.